Can the United States pay the money back?

[SteamWake]

Originally Posted by August

Still when I look at the progress that solar power has made in the past 30 years i'm encouraged about the future.

The wife and I hope to use solar in the retirement home we'll be building 20 years from now.

Indeed some signifigant advances have been made but the two main stumbling blocks as of right now are the pv cells themselves just dont produce enough current and the storage systems. Who knows maybe someone will have a break through tommorow.

In the meantime when you get ready to plan that home I know a good engineer

[Letum]

As it is, photo voltics are expensive, inefficant, degrade in power output
After a few years and need replacing after ~20 years.

Further more, there production is causing serious environmental problems. esp. in China.

Not a way to make or save money.
Great for calculators or street signs.

The thing that is missed is how this kind of spending drives down the economies of all nations. When the US consumer is paying for debt little disposable income is available to buy products and services from other nations, which in turn disrupts their economies. Its a pernicious circle.

[August]

Originally Posted by SteamWake

In the meantime when you get ready to plan that home I know a good engineer

Engineer, you mean like the guy who drives the train?


Sorry I can never pass up that joke.

Speaking of engineering. If I were to set up a solar battery powered system up at our cabin in Maine what would i need?

I'm figuring powering 4ea 75 watt bulbs (mostly during night time hours) for 3-5 days. Solar panel efficiency isn't a big issue since we usually go 30 days between visits

[SteamWake]

Originally Posted by August

Engineer, you mean like the guy who drives the train?


Sorry I can never pass up that joke.

Speaking of engineering. If I were to set up a solar battery powered system up at our cabin in Maine what would i need?

I'm figuring powering 4ea 75 watt bulbs (mostly during night time hours) for 3-5 days. Solar panel efficiency isn't a big issue since we usually go 30 days between visits

Dont really want to derail the thread any further so Ill pm you some links. For just a few lights (consider using compact fluorescents btw) you wont need all that much.

[Skybird]

Can the United States pay the money back?

Judging from the media coverage as well as past debates in this forum, the more interesting question is who in the US would even wish to do so. Living on tick seems to be taken as a God-given right by the US.

In the past 500 years, the vast majority of European powers had to reboot at one time or the other, due to total state bancruptcy that was the consequence of spending more than one could afford, and especially excessive military spending.

What is strange is that America could learn from these examples - but doesn't.

But with that strange habit it is not alone. Others repeat the very same economical and financial mistakes of the past as well. But no other causes so high waves by doing so.

They say there is something called evolution. more and more often, when looking at man's history, I doubt that. It always seems to be the same old stories that meanwhile got forgotten - and thus get repeated while assuming they are new.